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Jun 27, 2011

I remember when I was little, Mum used to take me to a place they called a "snack bar". It was a semi-sleaze joint where they also served great food. And when it came to good food, mum would turn a blind eye to the scantily clad girls hanging around half drunks who are trying real hard to hang on to their bar stools and not fall off. I guess I was too naive to realise what kind of "snacks" they were serving. Don't knock mom for taking a kid to places like these. She was a prim and proper lady used to champagne lunches and fancy joints, but like I said, she had a weakness for their food. And, I had a weakness for their pork chops with their homemade apple sauce. Where they'd got their chef from, I have no idea, since most of their evening customers don't even know what they're eating anyway. The lunch crowd was mostly office folks working around the area and we weren't the only family enjoying their good food during the daylight hours. Kids from the schools nearby, would be there for their superb milkshakes when school lets out. But when night came, it's forbidden for us to even be seen 100 feet from the place. What a turnaround. It was, um... educational.

Now, I was talking about the apple sauce they served with the pork chops. This was not from the can nor the baby food stuff that's bland and boring. It complimented the chops so well, and when they closed down (I wonder why?) I could not find another person who made it the same.

I'd made these to go with other pork dishes but I'd have to admit .... it's nothing like what I remembered. Sigh ... memories.

INGREDIENTS

About 1.5 kg apples (I used a mix of granny smiths and some reds)

Juice of 1 lemon

Peel of 1 lemon (large strips)

1 cinnamon stick (abt 2 - 3 inches long)

1/4 cup brown sugar (you can reduce this if you want it more tart)

1 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

METHOD

Remove core from apples, peel and cut them into wedges.

Plonk all ingredients into a large, deep pot. Stir to mix well.

Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 - 30 mins.

Remove pot from heat. Discard cinnamon and peels.

Mash with a potato masher or cool a little and puree in a food processor. At this point, you can decide if you want your apple sauce chunky or smooth.

Serve hot or cold. Good with pork dishes or with vanilla ice cream. Or blend it together with your favorite smoothie.

Three-Cookies how funny! Haha! I have a similiar memory of my dad taking me to a bar on the weekends he had me and there Shirley Temples. Oh my! Pork chops and homemade applesauce however reminds me of my mama and sitting around her table. Perfect combo. Yummy!

PretendChef: Haha! Hi Rochelle! 3Cookies always cracks me up with his/her comments (I haven't figured out what gender. All this while I thought she was a she but some one called "her" Mr 3Cookies) :D I'm glad this brings back some good memories for you too!

Tina: LOL! Maybe I should have poked my head through the door once just to see what really goes on in there at night. Never was a curious cat ... maybe in that case was good for me. :D

Tiffany: Thanks! But you know your first taste of things is always better ... sigh.

PinoyKitchenette: Funnily enough, I've found some really good food in the strangest places and not 5 star restaurants where the presentation is suppose to take your attention off what you're eating... LOL!

That is too funny: I can just imagine the scene of your Mum trying to downplay the waitresses Lol; but when you have somewhere with such great food... she was right! Love this recipe and that you can freeze it. So handy!

Ping, this applesauce is your madeleine :) (Proust's Remembrance of Things Past). It's so great to be able to replicate it and bring back such nice memories. When I first tried applesauce with pork I was too little to understand the implications of such exquisite food combination :) However, now I'm fully aware and eating it a lot !!!

SomethingGood: Yes, I suppose it is my madeleine, isn't it? Didn't think I dipped my chops in any tea tho. Does iced lemon tea count? :D Btw, foodgawker and tastespotting have rejected my photos so many times that I've given up on them. :( I guess they didn't think my photos are good enough :( Oh well ...

SomethingGood: Wow, I've never had anyone asked me so nicely before, at least not for submitting a picture :D Ok, I will do so, just for you. I did try earlier after reading this but I had a bit of a problem submitting, so will try again shortly. Thanks for having such great faith in my pic! Hug!

Hi Kita. If it's not for you, SomethingGood and all my other great friend bloggers, I'd probably have given up by now. Guess what? I did submit and got rejected .... again! Oh well, their standards are just waaay to high for me. I'll be happy right here ... with all of you xxx :D

hmmm. I know what their problem is - the light shadow on the right side. You need some light diffusion over there. (http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2011/07/photography-102-lighting/) you can check this material to see how.

I am happy I looked through your previous posts, I find this story amusing and touching at the same time. I would love to have here a place like this... I have been making apple sauce for years and have recently discovered the best ones are made with tart but very aromatic apples. Some even don't require any cinnamon or other spices. I don't know if you have access to King of the Pippins variety, but it is absolutely the best in sauces. (there is a photo on my blog if you want to have a look at this apple).

Hi Sissi. Sadly, the place has disappeared from the neighborhood due modernisation etc. But at least I have it in my memories each time I make this. Hey, thanks for the tip. I definitely will check out the market for the apples.